Advertising device and secondary closure



Oct. 24, 1939. J. D. BAKER ADVERTISING DEVICE AND SECONDARY CLOSURE Filed March 23, 1937 INVEN TOR. .lofin Drew Baker BY A A TTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES ADVERTISING DEVICE AND SECONDARY CLOSURE John Drew Baker, Mount Vernon,

to E. I. du Pont de Nemours &

N. Y., assignor Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application March 23,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to an advertising device and secondary closure for a container. More particularly, it relates to a method of attractively attaching an advertising medium to a 5 container and secondarily sealing the same.

This invention has particular utility in the marketing of foods and beverages. For convenience, this invention will be described'in terms of a metal container for beer but it will be understood that it is of general application.

In the marketing of beverages and other commodities, particularly in individual containers for direct consumption, such as metal cans and bottles of beer, ginger ale, grape juice, soft drinks, and the like, there has been a demand for a container which has a good appearance and which will, at the same time, be clean and sanitary especially around the mouth thereof. Various types of hoods for use on containers to suggested heretofore. hoods were, however, fastened on to the container by means of wire, rubber bands. glued paper strips and the like, which caused the container to present an unsightly appearance due to the protuberance of the irregular free edge of the hood. Such previously known sanitary hoods were also objectionable for various other reasons, such as difficulty of application, necessity of destroying hoods when removing same, and impossibility of placing the printed advertising indicia thereon in such a manner as to permit its being readwhen in place on the container.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a secondary closure for a container which will have an exceptionally neat appearance, will satisfactorily maintain the mouth of the container clean and sanitary, will be easy to apply, will be removable without destroying the same, and which may contain plainly readable printed indicia thereon.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The various features of the invention will be more clearly apparent by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded view, showing, in section, one embodiment of the invention as applied to a particular form of metal container.

Figure 2 is an exploded view, showing, in perspective, the elements of the invention of Figure 1 r 55 Figure 3 is a sectional view, showing a foil of maintain the same clean and sanitary have been Such previously known 1937, Serial No. 132,560

film held in position on a metal container by means of a retaining annulus.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the combination shown in Figure 3.

Referring to the drawing, reference numeral 5 l designates a metal container having a domed top 8. The top 8 is provided with a centrally located neck in which may be opened to serve as the mouth of the container. The neck I0 is provided with a flange or bead l2 so as to leave 10 a groove M. The top of the neck I0 has a centrally located depressed section I 6 which may be ruptured by forcing it downwardly towards the inside of the container and thereby open the latter.

In order to maintain the neck I0 and the surrounding section of the container clean and sanitary, a thin flexible foil or film I8 is positioned over the top thereof and is held in place by means of a retaining annulus 20. The annulus 20 consists of a preferably circular piece of resilient material such as stiff paper, light cardboard, light resilient metal or equivalent material, having a hole 22 and a plurality of radial cuts or slots 24. The hole 22 is made somewhat 25 smaller than the flange l2 of the neck and so that it can be forced thereover due to the yieldability of the sections between the slots 24. The yieldable sections will spring back into place within the groove M. The foil I8 and annulus 80 20 can be positioned over the neck of the container by laying the foil over the top of the neck and pressing the annulus over the flange of the neck as above set forth. The foil may be of rectangular outline as shown in Figure 2 or it 85 may be circular or any other desired shape. It is desirable to make foils smaller than the outside diameter'of the annulus so that they will be covered by the annulus when in position on the container. Inasmuch as the free edge of the 40 foil will be hidden by the annulus, this outline can be of anyof regular or irregular shape. The foil is preferably composed of a transparent nonfibrous material such as regenerated cellulose, cellulose derivatives, or gelatin whether colorless or colored. It may, however, be composed of paper, metal foil, rubber, rubber derivatives, rubber substitutes or any other attractive flexible material.

The annulus may contain any desired printed indicia or configuration to advertise the contents or ornament the container. If desired, the annulus may be provided with a tab 26, as shown in Figure 2 whereby to grasp the same to remove it from the container without damaging the same.

The annulus may, if desired, be made of suitable size and material to serve as a coaster or plate to protect the surface of furniture when used in the consumption of beverages. The annulus after being forced over the neck of the container will readily conform to the convexity of the shoulder 8 of the container. It will therefore not interfere with the handling of the container or be torn from the container during the handling thereof. It will be obvious that the foil and annulus can be positioned on a container in a minimum amount of, time by hand operation. If desired, it can be applied by any suitable mechanism which will force the annulusover the flange of the neck.

" The retaining annulus may obviously be used on any kind of container having a flange on the neck portion or having a bead or groove formed on the neck or in which the neck has a reversed taper. It is only important that the retaining annulus be so arranged that the tendency of the fllm to straighten out will not cause the an- -nulus to be lifted ofi.

particular utility in such cases where the con tainer has a comparatively short neck portion. The invention is useful where it is desired to provide a secondary closure either for hygienic I purposes or as means of carrying printed instructions to the consumer or as a decorative or advertisingmedium. The present invention is advantageous in that it does not only protect the neck of the container but the surrounding sections of the container to such an extent as to prevent contact of the lips with a soiled section of the container when a beverage or the like is consumed directly therefrom.

Inasmuch as various obvious modifications and changes can be made in the above detailed description without departing from the nature and spirit of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited except as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A container having a flanged neck and in combination therewith a secondary closure device which comprises a thin flexible foil held in place on said container by means of an annular retaining member constructed from a flat sheet of resilient material and having a centrally positioned opening and a plurality of radially dihanging edges of said foil.

2. In combination, a container having a flanged or beaded neck and a secondary closure device, said device comprising a thin, flexible foil and an annular retaining member, said retaining member constructed from a flat sheet of resilient material and having an opening smaller than the said flange of said neck and having radially directed cuts or slots connecting with said opening, said retaining member being positioned over said foil on said neck with the edge of the annulus adjacent said opening under said flange, said member being sufliciently large to cover the overhanging edges of said foil.

3. A container having a flanged neck and in combination therewith a secondary closure device which comprises a thin, flexible foil of transparent material held in place on said container by means of an annular retaining member constructed from a flat sheet of resilient material and having a centrally positioned opening and a plurality of resilient, yieldable members on the internal periphery of said opening, said annular retaining member being resiliently positioned over said foil and with said resilient, yieldable members surrounding and in contact with said flanged neck on said container, said member being sufliciently large to cover the overhanging edges of said foil and adapted to lie flat against a portion of said container.

4. -A container having in combination therewith a closure device which comprises a thin flexible foil held in place on said container by means of an annular retaining member constructed from a flat sheet of resilient material and having a centrally positioned opening and a plurality of radially directed cuts or slots con nectingwith said opening to form resilient tabs I on said annular retaining member, said annular retaining member being resiliently positioned over said foil and with said tabs surrounding and in contact with said neck on said container.

5. In combination, a container having a flanged or beaded neck and a closure device, said device comprising a thin flexible foil and an annular retaining member, said retaining member constructed from a flat sheet of resilient material and having an opening smaller than the said flange of said container and having radially directed cuts or slots connecting with said opening, said retaining member being positioned over said foil on said neck with theedge of the annulus adjacent said opening under said flange.

6. A container havinga flanged neck and in combination therewith a closure device which comprises a thin flexible foil of transparent material held in place on said container by means of an annular retaining member constructed from a flat sheet of resilient material and having a centrally positioned opening and a plurality of resilient yieldable members on the internal periphery of said opening, said annular retaining .member being resiliently positioned over said foil and with said resilient yieldable members surrounding and in contact with said flanged neck on said container.

JOHN DREW BAKER.

ber being sufliciently large to cover the over- 

